Tag Archives: NCIS

Gibbs Rules #1

“Never Screw Over Your Partner”

Originally airing February 6, 2007, the NCIS episode Blowback, is the eighty-fourth episode of the NCIS series. The first of the ‘duplicate rules’ appears. Whether the original rules 1-3 are Mike Franks or ‘Crime Scene’ rules has many NCIS fanatics wondering and scratching their heads. Also appearing in this episode is Jethro Gibbs Rule #4 “The Best Way To Keep A Secret? Keep It To Yourself. Second Best? Tell One Other Person – If you MUST. There is NO Third Best.”

Season 4, Episode 14 (Blowback)

In this episode of NCIS we are first introduced to they mysterious arms dealer René Benoit, alias La Grenouille (“The Frog”). NCIS captures an international arms dealer, named Lisack and is preparing to extradite him to Zaire as a favor to Mossad. In exchange a valuable piece of intelligence is to be traded, which will help both the US and Israel.

After the team realizes in order to stop the deal from going ahead, they must send an undercover agent into play, that someone is Ducky! Other implications soon appear that the infamous La Grenouille, has ties to Director Jenny Shepard. Apparently she has been obsessed with bringing him to justice for over ten years as she believes he is responsible for killing her father and making it look like a suicide.

Tune in to more NCIS: Gibbs Rules, each week, to find out more about the next Gibbs Rule.

What Are Gibbs Rules?

Gibbs Rules are a set of rules that govern Jethros code of conduct, both professionally and personally. In the first episode, Yankee White, we are given the first three rules; we learn later they are most likely Mike Franks rules as duplicate rules one and three are introduced in future episodes. Gibbs Rule two has yet to be revealed. A conversation with Ziva David, in Season 3, episode Silver War Gibbs indicates it’s his job to teach her, the approximately 50 rules. As time goes on we learn his rules are scribbled on scraps of paper and kept in a small tin at his home, although we rarely see the tin.

As indicated byNCIS Wikiait was revealed in the last few minutes of the Season 6 episode, Heartland (episode) that Gibbs’s rules originated from his first wife, Shannon Gibbs, where she told him at their first meeting that “Everyone needs a code they can live by”.

The only rule of Shannon’s personal code that is quoted is either her first or third: “Never date a lumberjack.”

We have come to learn there are actually more than 50 Gibbs Rules, as Rule 51 : “Sometimes you’re wrong.” and Rule 69: “Never trust a woman who doesn’t trust her man.” have both been mentioned. Over the years Tony, Timothy McGee, Abby Sciuto and Jimmy Palmer have all developed at least one personal rule of their own.

Season 1, Episode 1: Gibbs Rules (Original Rules 1 – 3)

During a flight on Air Force One, a Navy Commander collapses and dies after having lunch with the President of the United States. After continuing developments occur, NCIS is forced to work with Secret Service Agent Caitlin Todd; they eventually take over the investigation after landing in Wichita, Kansas. What looked like a simple death by natural causes escalates as another player is found dead in his car. It soon becomes apparent that a murder plot on the President by any means necessary is developing.

During the ensuing investigation Kate confines three plane stewards in the press cabin, which presents the first opportunity for Gibbs to tell Kate two of his important rules which are: 1- Never let suspects stay together, and 2- Always wear gloves at a crime scene. After a meeting up with Dr. Donald Mallard, the NCIS Medical Examiner, to discus some discrepancies in the time of death, Gibbs mentions Rule #3 – Don’t believe what you’re told: double check. Kate sarcastically asks him if she should write the rules down in her Palm Pilot or crochet them on pillows.

After people continue to get sick with what appears to be the flu, a long, frustrating and tumultuous investigation Gibbs drops the terrorist ready to kill the President just as the Secret Service arrive, guns drawn, to the Presidents room. Due the fiasco Kate resigns her position as a Presidential Secret Service agent, because it’s the right thing to do. Gibbs agrees and then tells her if she pulls that crap at NCIS, he won’t give her a chance to resign. Kate wonders if that’s a job offer.